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Port Ellen whisky

5 full-size bottles (50cl to 1 litre) in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

About the distillery

Region
Islay, Scotland
Founded
1825 (revived 2024)
Status
Producing
Capacity
1.7 million litres of pure alcohol a year (stated capacity, not actual output); as recorded October 2026. Number 92 of 169 by stated capacity.
Stills
2 (1 wash, 1 spirit)
Owner
Owned by Diageo (since 1925); as recorded October 2026
Say it
port EL-en
Notable
Coastal site
SMWS code
43, the number on Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings (SMWS code decoder)
Visitor tours
Open to visitors (producer's page, checked November 2026). See distillery tour guide.
Visitor rating
4.0 out of 5 (3 reviews); TripAdvisor, October 2026

Read the full history on Whiskipedia

Secondary Market Barometer

11,522 lots sold · £11.8m hammer total

How Port Ellen bottles have traded at Scotch Whisky Auctions, Whisky Auctioneer and Whisky Hammer between May 2011 and October 2026. Hammer prices exclude buyer's premium, VAT and delivery, except that a Whisky Hammer price includes 20% VAT when a VAT-registered business sells the lot.

Trading volume
#28Often tradedof 181 distilleries by lots sold
Bids per lot
29.1Above-average biddingWhisky Auctioneer only, against 20.5 across all distilleries
Median hammer price
£750.00average £1,023.07, pulled up by the top lots
Independent bottlings
47%of lots (5,420), the rest official bottlings (6,102)Median hammer: official £1,100.00, independent £520.00
Highest hammer prices
BottleSoldHammer
Port Ellen 12 Year Old - The Visit of H.M. The Queen to Port Ellen Maltings2022£100,000.00
Port Ellen Fine Malt Selection 12 Year Old2021£44,000.00
Port Ellen 12 Year Old Samaroli Full Proof2022£40,504.00
Most often sold
BottleLotsMedian
Port Ellen 9th Annual Release 1979 30 Year Old174£1,100.00
Port Ellen 1979 Natural Cask Strength 30 Year Old - 9th Release156£1,300.00
Port Ellen 1979 Natural Cask Strength 22 Year Old - 1st Release155£1,960.00
Top independent bottlers
BottlerLotsMedian
Douglas Laing1,297£575.00
Gordon & MacPhail1,082£430.00
Signatory893£460.00

Past auction results, not a valuation or a guide to future prices. Figures compiled 12 November 2026.

Before comparing a hammer price with a shop price, add the fees: buying whisky at auction vs retail works through them. Auction medians for many brands have fallen since their 2021 and 2022 peaks, as what 1.6 million auction lots show about whisky prices sets out.

Also sold as

Names linked to Port Ellen. Bottles sold under these names are listed separately from Port Ellen's own.

Big Peat

Blended malt including Port Ellen, confirmed by the bottler. Source

Questions

What is the cheapest Port Ellen whisky?
The cheapest Port Ellen whisky is Gordon & Macphail Port Ellen 34 Year Old 1979 Rare Old (34 years old, 46% ABV, 70cl), at £1,699.00 from Tyndrum Whisky. That is £1,699.00 delivered to the UK mainland for one bottle. Next cheapest: Port Ellen (silent) 1st Release Islay Single Malt Scotch 1979 22 Year Old Whisky (£2,500.00) and Port Ellen 1979 37 Year Old Goren’s Whisky (£3,360.00).
How much does Port Ellen whisky cost?
Port Ellen whisky costs from £1,699.00 to £14,995.00, with a median of £3,360.00 for a full-size bottle (50cl to 1 litre). The dearest is Port Ellen 1981 Islay Festival 2008 Limited Edition Single Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl.
What is the oldest Port Ellen whisky you can buy?
Port Ellen 39 Year Old Untold Stories: The Spirit Safe, at 39 years old, from £6,999.95.